ENERGY MANAGEMENT IN THE HEALTH SECTOR: A CASE STUDY OF NABLUS SPECIALTY HOSPITAL

Abstract

This study is about finding ways to save energy in a big hospital, in Nablus, Palestine. The hospital uses a lot of energy every day. To see where the hospital can save energy, we did a full energy audit to understand how the hospital uses energy in day-to-day operation and to identify where the main losses and inefficiencies happen. RET Screen Expert was used as the main tool to assess the current situation and to compare improvement options. The study suggests a number of practical measures, including the installation of a solar water heating system, the upgrade of the lighting to more efficient technology, the enhancement of the building's insulation, the enhancement of HVAC efficiency through improved performance tuning and regular maintenance, and the installation of a photovoltaic (PV) system above the parking area to generate a portion of the hospital's electricity demand, all of which are based on the audit findings. The environmental, financial, and energy-saving impacts of the proposed actions were examined in this study. The results showed that the implementation of the energy audit measurements could reduce energy consumption by approximately 30%, equivalent to around 379,050 kWh/year. In addition, annual cost savings of about USD 115,921 and a reduction of approximately 102 tons of CO₂ emissions per year could be achieved. The results also indicated that hospital operating costs, pollution levels, and energy consumption could be reduced simultaneously. It should be emphasized that the most effective energy-saving solutions are those that provide both environmental and financial benefits. Therefore, healthcare facility decision-makers may be encouraged to adopt such measures, as they can contribute to improving energy performance while reducing operational costs and environmental impacts.